The Coast Guard received an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon signal at 5:04 a.m.

The beacons, which signal potential distress, are registered to specific users. The agency was able to contact a relative to determine who was on board the vessel and their route.

The Bingmans were on their way from Kodiak to Ketchikan.

A Kodiak-based helicopter crew, staged in Cordova, launched at 6:30 a.m. to search for the three.

''Because they had current registration information, we were able to quickly determine the route they were taking, the number of people on board, and their vessel's description,'' said Petty Officer Doug Green of the 17th Coast Guard District Rescue Coordination Center.

The helicopter crew located the Bingmans in the life raft at 7:40 a.m.

Mann swam with the three to the rescue basket, one at a time, as Petty Officer Jeff Kaschalk hoisted them into the helicopter.

''The dog was the most difficult to rescue out of the three,'' said Mann. ''He didn't want to get in the water. I grabbed a hold of the dog, he put his paws on my arm, and I swam him to the rescue basket.''